WEST PAWLET, VT – Award-winning cheesemaker Consider Bardwell Farm (CBF) is pleased to announce its participation in the recently formed Farm Apprenticeship Program offered by the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund (ASLF) created to provide a one-month paid apprenticeship for young adults to live on sustainable farms: to work, learn, and be inspired to create change in their communities. This opportunity for future farmers and cheesemakers is in addition to Consider Bardwell Farm’s nearly ten-year collaboration with France’s L’Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture d’Angers, providing a similar, unique experience for a three-month period each year.
“We’re delighted to offer apprenticeships with the goal of fostering the next generation of farmers and cheesemakers. We hope to nurture those who appreciate our mission of producing world-class products in a sustainable and environmentally responsible manner, and share our values regarding community, conservation, and farmland,” states Angela Miller, co-owner, Consider Bardwell Farm.
Apprenticeship programs such as those offered by France’s L’Ecole Supérieure d’Agriculture d’Angers and the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund allow those who are interested in pursuing a livelihood in some aspect of farming or cheesemaking the occasion to become familiar with the challenging work of farm life and gain a better understanding of the importance of sustainability and being good neighbors.
Notably, the ASLF Farm Apprenticeship Program provides fully sponsored apprenticeships, thereby making the experience accessible to all. To further address barriers to entry within the sustainable food system, more than half of this year’s ASLF apprentices are from communities which are historically and currently impacted by food insecurity and other forms of marginalization.
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“Our apprentices will not only work at our farm and creamery located in southern Vermont, getting firsthand exposure to the process of making unique artisan cheeses such as our Pawlet, Rupert, and Dorset,” continues Miller, “but will have the chance to visit other cheesemaking operations nearby and delve into cultural activities throughout the Green Mountain state which they may not normally have access to, rounding out their summer stay with us.”
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About Consider Bardwell Farm:
Founded in 1864 by Consider Stebbins Bardwell as the Pawlet Cheese Company and Vermont’s first dairy coop, cheesemaking operations were restarted in 2004 under the Consider Bardwell Farm name, combining time-honored cheesemaking methods with regenerative agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Renowned nationally for their small batch cheeses using fresh milk from two nearby, single-family farms – Indian River Farm and Woodlawn Farm – its products regularly earn top honors. To learn more about Consider Bardwell Farm, visit www.considerbardwellfarm.com.
About the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund:
Founded in 2021 by Patrick Martins and Pam Saxelby, in memory of beloved NY cheesemonger, Anne Saxelby, the nonprofit aims to grow in Anne’s spirit and create opportunities for future changemakers through fully sponsored apprenticeships on sustainable dairies, vegetable, and livestock farms across the US. To learn more about the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund, visit www.annesaxelbylegacyfund.org/.
